That’s a wrap for this year’s 2022 SOAR Summit, presented by Appalachian Wireless and the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The final Plenary Session started with a touching tribute to the Eastern Kentucky Floods. It started with a moment of silence to honor those who lost their lives and following a video, more than 100 first responders joined us on stage for a moment of appreciation. 

Here are some other highlights from Day 2.

• Kentucky Power donated a $100,000 grant to SOAR as part of their Kentucky Economic Growth Grant initiative, making them a new partner! 
• Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin announced a $500,000 grant to SOAR for our robust remote worker recruitment effort.
• Federal Co-Chair Manchin and Congressman Hal Rogers also announced 11 POWER grant recipients. Learn more and see a complete list of awardees HERE.
• Rajant Corporation presented $75,000 to leaders in Letcher County to support ongoing relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the flooding.
• Congressman Rogers and Federal Co-Chair Manchin, joined State Representatives Angie Hatton and Derek Lewis to discuss long-term flood recovery efforts. The panel was moderated by WYMT’s Stave Hensley.

Stay tuned for more updates. In the meantime, check out a photo album from Day 2.